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Oklahoma Sooners: Baker Mayfield keeps going, even with shoulder issue

By The Sports Xchange
Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield is struggling with a banged-up shoulder. Photo by Pierre DuCharme/UPI
Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield is struggling with a banged-up shoulder. Photo by Pierre DuCharme/UPI | License Photo

NORMAN, Okla. -- Baker Mayfield grimaced from the hit but bounced right back up.

When Texas defensive end Gerald Wilbon -- all 305 pounds of him -- landed on Mayfield in Oklahoma's recent win against Texas on Oct. 14, Mayfield kept going.

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The senior quarterback played a week later, throwing for 410 yards and two touchdowns and running for 69 yards and two more in the Sooners' 42-35 win at Kansas State.

Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley wasn't sure until one or two days before the game that Mayfield was even going to be able to play.

The performance was another chapter in the legend of Baker Mayfield, who earned a starting job at Texas Tech as a true freshman, becoming the first walk-on freshman to earn a starting quarterback job in a season-opener, and then left the Red Raiders to walk-on at Oklahoma, eventually beating out incumbent Trevor Knight for the job.

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Heading into this week's home game against Texas Tech, Mayfield and Riley insist Mayfield's shoulder isn't a concern.

"It wasn't a contact issue," Riley said. "It was one that limited him from throwing during the week. ... I didn't have any concerns about him as a thrower. It did not limit us in the game. I don't anticipate it limiting us going forward."

No. 10 Oklahoma (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) takes on the Red Raiders (4-3, 1-3) this Saturday before Bedlam at Oklahoma State on Nov. 4.

Against the Wildcats, Mayfield not only threw for his highest yardage total of the season, he had his best rushing numbers since 2015.

"When it comes down to it, it's just a little injury here and there," Mayfield said. "It's football. I've said it a million times. You are going to have bumps and bruises. You just have to suck it up and fight through it."

Mayfield might brush it off as no big deal, but those around him certainly don't.

"It's pretty remarkable, honestly," Riley said. "It really is. People should take notice of that and not take it for granted. It's hard to play at the level he's playing at. He's doing it with a new cast of skill guys. Show me somebody in the country that's playing better."

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With a group of receivers that were largely unproven heading into the year and remain largely uneven through seven games, Mayfield still has the Sooners in the mix for a College Football Playoff berth.

He has completed 73.8 percent of his passes this season, tops in the country. He remains the only quarterback in the country with a passing efficiency rating better than 200.

"Baker's a superhero," defensive end/linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo said. "He's a guy. If he had one leg, he'd go out there and throw for 400 passing yards."

NOTES: Oklahoma DE/LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo is second in the league with 12 tackles for loss and leads the Big 12 with six sacks. He has three forced fumbles. ... RB Abdul Adams has missed two consecutive games with an ankle injury. Adams dressed at Kansas State but did not play. ... TE Mark Andrews tied a career-high with seven catches for 61 yards against Kansas State. He has 30 catches for 520 yards and three touchdowns on the year.

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